Weekend Box Office — ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ Hunts Down First Place

Moviegoers lined up to see Robert Downey, Jr. in ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,’ giving the sleuthing sequel a $40 million showing and the top spot at the box office this weekend.

Another sequel, ‘Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked,’ came in second with $23.5 million, followed by ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,’ the latest in the Tom Cruise franchise, which brought in $13 million.

Last week’s most popular movie, the star-studded ‘New Year’s Eve,’ came in fourth with $7.4 million, and Jonah Hill’s ‘The Sitter’ rounded out this weekend’s top five with a $4.4 million haul.

Here’s a list of the top 10 movies at the box office Friday through Sunday with estimated grosses, along with how much each movie has made since its release: